A qualitative exploration of patients’ experiences of music therapy in an inpatient hospice in Singapore

Abstract

Aim: This article reports on a study of terminally ill patients’ experiences with music therapy in a Singapore inpatient hospice. The study aimed to explore the experiences, expectations, and perceptions of the patients toward music therapy. Background: Music therapy is often used as a complementary therapy in hospice settings to allow for a more holistic care. Despite clinical observations on the effectiveness of music therapy, there has been a lack of formal research in the Asian setting concerning the experience of patients using music in a palliative care setting. Methods: A qualitative approach using Burnard’s thematic analysis method was used. Five adult patients from an inpatient hospice who were able to speak either English or Mandarin, and who had undergone at least one music therapy session with a qualified music therapist participated in individual face-to-face interviews. Results: Four themes emerged from the study. ‘Mirror of the inner feelings’ described how music acts as a mirror to reflect positive feelings, and deflect negative feelings. ‘Bridge of connection’ explained how music therapy acts as a bridge to facilitate connection to the inner self. ‘Music as a therapeutic medium’ identified how music acted as a therapeutic medium during music therapy. Lastly, ‘barriers to music therapy’ represented the various barriers to using music therapy. Conclusion: Music therapy is able to provide for the physical, psychological, and social needs of the terminally ill patient. It may be beneficial to promote the use of music therapy in the hospice setting.